Jeremy Dylan St James
Born the only son of moderately well-known musical scholars, Jeremy Dylan St James showed both an insatiable curiosity and an innate talent for magic at a very young age.
His early childhood was very happy - surrounded by books, musical inspiration, the excitement of his own original magical experiments and the continual buzz of rebuilding activity from the township housing the small but highly regarded Midlands Conservatory of Knowledge where his parents, along with other senior academics, were lodged as savants-in-residence. However, as he grew it became more and more evident to his doting extended family that their precocious charge would quickly surpass their ability to provide a suitably challenging learning environment and that they probably couldn't keep the growing number of frivolous lawsuits at bay much longer. Thus, an exchange program was hurriedly arranged by Conservatory staff with the well reputed National College of Arcana some 300 miles away. Much to the Conservatory's relief, their heartfelt application (and sponsorship "donation") were accepted - and although the distance involved meant that he wouldn't be able to come home to see his friends and family at the Conservatory very often Jeremy was deeply touched by their gesture towards his ongoing education and vowed to do them proud by redoubling efforts at his new school.
Nicknamed Sinjin (the short form of 'St James'), the budding sorcerer impressed his teachers with his native magical talent... especially in the areas related to Chaos ("That boy is nothing but chaos!"). Rapidly gaining skills in his new craft Sinjin, in succeeding years, burnt down the science wing with a Fireball spell, hospitalised the Evocation teacher with a Lightening Bolt and on a field trip to the seaside accidentally evoked a Charm Monster on a kraken that then followed him home to take up residence in the lake next to the College. These were all spells which normal experience says should have been beyond him at the time they were cast. Indeed, the local townsfolk were so filled with awe his feat with the kraken they couldn't even wait for morning, instead turning up in the middle of the night at the College gates, burning torches held high, to enquire about the marvellous many-tentacled addition to their town's environment. However, Sinjin's crowning achievement was undoubtedly his surprising ability to enact a high level Summon Monster spell while reading up on Vrock demons just prior to the annual school graduation ceremony. In the face of such demonstrated talent the surviving College faculty hurriedly convened, deciding they could do nothing less than include their prodigy as a last minute addition to the current ceremony... and so it was that the acting Dean in rapid succession graduated him as a sorcerer, pointed out that as he was no longer their student and thus free of their responsibility and advised him that he should leave to try his fortune in the outside world... quickly and as far away as possible.
Humbled by the senior arcane Masters confidence in his skills while still so young, Sinjin decided to expand his education and pursue a deeper study of how music and magic might be related. Reverting to the name Dylan so that his growing local fame wouldn't yield him undue advantage he travelled to the Midlands capital to enrol in the prestigious Academy of Music (his parents and home Conservatory strongly recommended this alternative when they found out he might come home). After only a year and a half of study the most recent Academy Chancellor (the fourth in that time, his predecessors having suffered a sudden desire for early retirement, a nervous breakdown and spontaneous human combustion) as one of his first acts in office graduated Dylan with honours and, putting aside the traditional hostility and loathing that classical bodies seem to have for 'popular' institutions, gave him a glowing recommendation to the Guild of Bard's. "After all" said the new Chancellor before he left to supervise the rebuilding effort on the Academy's main hall, "having you join the Bards is the best thing I could ever do for promoting our own interests".
Accepted into the Guild and taking "Jeremy" as his formal guild name he was assigned as apprentice to Rhys, the senior member of an 8 person delegation sent to help mediate a minor border and fisheries dispute between two coastal Baronies. This embassy was counted a resounding success after the Baronies signed a mutual protection pact to jointly attack the kraken that had suddenly appeared to menace both their fishing fleets soon after the delegation's arrival. For his part in climactic battle against the sea monster Jeremy was promoted to Master Bard - his improvising of an on-the-spot magical enchantment was applauded by both Barons as being the single decisive action responsible for sending the kraken into full retreat. Although no one in the Rhys delegation could later duplicate the spell, nor even determine what school of magic it enlisted (its somatic element seemed to be composed of lots of frantic arm waving accompanied by the loud verbal chant of "Squiddy, stop following me!"), witnesses in both aristocratic entourages agreed that the casting of this impressive bardic spell was the turning point in the conflict and should be rewarded by the Guild.
Now at liberty to roam freely as a master in his own right, Jeremy Dylan St James has adopted the life of a wandering bard and adventurer... free to indulge his curiosity, magic and music as he wishes. He writes home often and also to old mentors at the various educational institutions that have helped shape his craft (and they universally advise him to keep travelling further away and to see more of the world). He was attached to one adventuring party for a while but they left him keeping watch on an army of undead while they "just popped out for a loaf of bread and quick pint. No, no need to come... we won't be long". That was a month and a half ago so he is quite concerned they've run into some trouble and desperately need his help so he has decided to go look for them. Initially worried that this might mean forsaking his responsibility for watching the zombie army it seems that problem seems to have solved itself - the army has noticed him and is following along too! Boy, won't his friends be surprised when he finds them...
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